The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Volta River Authority (VRA) say they do not have in their custody any official document exempting the people on Krobo land from paying electricity bills.
The two bodies have therefore challenged some youth on Krobo lands to produce the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) exempting them from paying bills.
Speaking to the Media in Accra, Mrs Gertrude N. Koomson, Manager, Corporate Communications, VRA said she was not aware of any MOU adding “I am also trying to look for it, We want to know the signatories, venue, time and date that the MOU was signed.”
According to her, the VRA had records concerning resettlement and compensations that were to be paid to people but, ‘We do not have any records exempting the people of the Krobo land from paying bills.’
Nana Arthur Forson, Director of Customer Service, ECG told journalists in Accra that the company had not come across any MOU exempting them from paying bills, adding that the mandate of the company is to procure power from VRA and other power producing firms and sell same to consumers.
On the high bills payments on Krobo lands, Mr Forson admitted that the problem was a national issue following the procurement of a new software billing system but the company’s management had delegated senior personnel to rectify it.
“Currently ECG is continuing with public education on its billing system and any problems facing its customers in Krobo area addressed by ECG customer Care services.”
Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo at the 2017 Mgmayem festival durbar held during the weekend expressed his regrets that traditional rulers have been blamed over sky rocketing bills.
According to Nene Sakite, he was also not aware of any MOU between the VRA and the Traditional Council exempting him and his people from paying Bills.
He therefore urged all those who have knowledge of the said MOU to make it available for him to swiftly act on.
The Konor of Manya Krobo appealed to the VRA to publish whatever they have on the payment of electricity concerning the people of Krobo.
Meanwhile, some youth group of the krobo land maintain that there was an MOU between their predecessors, the VRA and former head of State, Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1963.
According to Mr Joshua Ogborjor, Spokesperson, Concerned Krobo Youth at Somanya insisted that the “chiefs of Krobo land have the MOU and will by November 15, this year produce same.”
“From 1848, till this time all the records are there. I am very sure that the MOU exempted the people of Krobo from paying electricity bills.”
Mr Teye Kwao Kaismu, Public Relations Officer of United Krobo Foundation was not happy about the plight of the people of Krobo.
According to him, during the construction of the Akosombo and Akuse Dams, almost all their farm lands and produce were destroyed and a handful of people had been compensated.
He deplored the huge ECG bills passed on the people of Krobo saying they could not pay them because most residents were jobless.
Mr Kaismu alleged that there were other communities that were not paying electricity bills.
The Public Relations Officer of the United Krobo Foundation is of the view that “whether there is an MOU or not, there is the need for stakeholders go back to negotiating table following the takeover of our land by VRA.”
In May this year, some youth groups demanded for MOU between the Krobos and the VRA from the chiefs of Yilo Krobo and Manya Krobo following the irreversible damages caused by the Akosombo and Akuse Dams.
The groups also demonstrated against the huge electricity bills posed on their people.
Source: GNA
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then what shld be done for the Akwamufie and the people of Gyakiti, Frankedua, Adumas and its environs? i hope VRA build houses and connect electricity, water, security and the rest for them
contributions to Ghana's development by Krobos in deed. what contributions have you yourself made to the development of your area let alone Ghana? what can Ghana boast of today if not debt that cannot be paid within the next forty years? is these debts not caused by your criminal and incompetent leaders from the birth of ghana? because of greed,your wicked leaders have died pre-maturely and have left ghana undeveloped.if we if we calculate the per capita income today of ghana,you will be going to your grave with less than $500 so what good contributions have those other tribes left behind if not WICKED DEBT both internal and foreign debt.all the leaders of ghana from the birth of ghana till date has done more harm to ghana than good.krobos contributes alot good ghana than harm,they are hard working but don't hype themslves like the way you do when you even kill a rat ok! if you don't know,research.
Krobos are very hard working; predominantly farmers. We should not take them for granted. I know they are great warriors. The Authorities must listen to their concern. Because they rely heavily on peasant farming, the area is very poor. I am very much against free electricity for anyone. But a subsided electricity is affordable.
Are the Krobo's saying their grandfathers were not compensated at all? how many people were living there by then such that the current generation should be asking for compensation again. The Youth should find work and stop disturbing people. We have a lot of vast lands in this country for farming. it doesn't have to be lands from their place. they should disturbing us.
"Meanwhile, some youth group of the krobo land maintain that there was an MOU between their predecessors, the VRA and former head of State, Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1963" Ah Ghanafo paa. Even if this was the case in 1963, we are now in 2017 and technology and electricity consumption has greatly increased. What has the mining areas earned from the natural resources being used to run the country so far? Krobos are not better than other Ghanaians. What contribution are they or have they made to the development of Ghana? If they do not want to pay for the electricity they are consuming, the power should be simply cut off. Ghana needs all the resources available to improve the living standards of all.
the ECG is lazy in its billing. i can not imagine in this day and time, a full house with microwave oven,fridge etc. still pay ¢2.00 (two Ghana cedis) a month. in some cases ¢1.50(one cedi,fifty. that organization has to change many of its billing managers. how does the board operate? we are simply not serious and that is why some krobos would also say some things like this because they know the management is not good
GOOD CITIZENS OF GHANA PLS MAKE RESEARCH BEFORE YOU COME OUT WITH ISSUES. ALL WHAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN REGARDS TO TEMA N TAKORADI FOR HARBOURS,NZEMA FOR OIL,ASHANTIS FOR ANGLOGOLD AND FINALLY (GAS) FOR THE AIRPORT, ALL THIS PEOPLE HAS BEEN COMPENSETED. MY SUGGESTION IS LET THE DIRECTORS OF ECG N VRA TOGETHER WITH ELDERS AND CHIEFS AND SOME SELECTED MINISTERS OF STATE TO PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH IDEAS ON HOW THIS CAN BE SOLVE.
Jennifer Lomotey, your people are misbehaving. Advise them
So what will happen to those in Tema and Takoradi concerning the siting of the harbours? Nzema for the oil find and production? Anglogold to Ashantis, GAs and the airport? etc. This is upsurged and no one should have the slighted mind that you can lazy about and claim that you want things free.